Whatever Remains
by Hecate28
Summary: The best thing about crime novels is that you can shut them away when it gets too gory. Real life doesn't allow that. When the Lyell Centre team investigate a case in rural farmland, the line between fact and fiction is blurred. Will the team be able to solve the case before more people meet their conclusion?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

The night was dark. Winter was slowly strangling the last tendrils of the past season. The Autumn had been particularly warm. The land was still teeming with life, not ready to go to sleep. Not ready for the cold season about to drape itself over it.

The lane was dark. From the main road up until the farmhouse there was no light except for the moon which came out on clear nights. But the night was dark, the moon was hidden behind thick cloud. Not a star in the sky to light the way. It was a dangerous night for those that didn't know the lay of the land.

Kitty shivered as she turned away from the window. She had been squinting at the dark trying to make out if anyone was coming up the lane. Well, not just anyone. Her Father was late back. It had been a peculiar morning. She had gone downstairs for breakfast but her Father wasn't there.

His boots were there

His gun was there

His car keys were there

But _he_ wasn't

It was just like he had vanished into thin air.

She'd been telling herself all day to be rational. Like the detectives in her murder mystery book, all puzzles had a rational explanation. She'd been reading Sherlock Holmes to remind herself:

'_How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth_?'

There must be a rational explanation

She'd been sure he'd come home soon, and she would tell him how she had worried, about her theories and they would laugh together over it. But as the day drew on and the night drew in, she was less and less sure of herself.

"Marple?" she called and a Border Collie waddled into the room "Not long to go now," she said placing her hand on the dog's swollen stomach "Soon," she told the dog who looked up at her, cocking her head on one side

Sometimes she thought the dog knew what she was saying. She preferred the company of animals and books to the company of humans. Her Father had always encouraged her to make friends but living in the rural countryside there wasn't much company to be found.

There was the farm about a mile away, back down the beaten track. She knew the Thompson family well. The families had grown up together. They had two sons: Ryan and Samuel; both were working on the farm and so the two families knew each other by trade.

Back in the little town there was a small library that frequented when she had finished work on the farm for the day. Her trips had been getting less frequent since Flynn, her Father's farmhand had quit. There was so much to do and so little time to do it in.

And of course, there was her sister. But she was long gone, in the city with all the bright lights and loud noises. Out of sight and out of mind.

Tonight, it was just her and Marple. Waiting for her Father to come home.

As the night darkened and the clock struck midnight echoing in the old farmhouse, Kitty hugged Marple closer to her desperately hoping the night wouldn't finish like one of her crime novels.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Jack squinted into the darkness as he drove up the twisty lane. This far into the forest there was no natural light but as he turned the corner he was greeted was the all too familiar lights that signified someone would get some life changing news that night.

As he pulled, the forest was lit with the lights of the police cars, giving the trees an unnatural blue hue as they darted across the trunk, dancing light and shadows. He put the handbrake on and spotted Nikki's car just ahead of his. The night was cold; winter was certainly setting in. The nip in the air confirmed it and Jack was glad he'd put an extra layer on.

"Jack Hodgson, forensics," he said flashing his badge at the officer on the cordon tape

"Your colleagues already here," the officer said, pulling his hi-vis jacket closer around him

"Of course she is," Jack said

Jack ducked under the tape and made his way up to the white tent that covered the crime scene, giving the soon to be seen body a last shot at dignity.

"You took your time," Nikki said as Jack entered the tent

"That's because we're in the arse end of nowhere," he grumbled "Sat-Nav got me lost,"

"And I thought you were a rural boy at heart,"

"There's rural and then there's nothing-ness" Jack said scanning around "Where's the nearest landmark out here?"

"There's two farms about a mile apart," a voice said and Jack turned to see a man in a white forensic suit standing behind him, holding out a hand as a greeting "DI Will Collins. I'm the SIO on this case,"

"Two farms?"

"According to local police who we've been liaising with, the farm just up from here is run by Oliver Thompson and his wife and two sons. The other farm about a mile from here is run by Frank Richards. He has two daughters but only one stays with him,"

"Have the local police got any leads on who this is?" Nikki asked

"There's been reports of a missing person. Flynn Brown; works on the Richard's farm. Seems to fit the description but-"

"-you'll need someone to officially identify the body," Nikki said, and Will nodded

"No ID on him," Jack said crouching down "Cause of death?"

"I can't be sure until I complete the post-mortem- "

"-of course," Jack said rolling his eyes playfully at Nikki

"But it looks like a gunshot wound,"

"We'll have to wait until daylight to look for the bullet casing. It's far too dark here even with floodlights,"

Suddenly a commotion from nearby caught the attention of the three persons standing in the tent. Will frowned as he made his way down to the cordon, followed by Jack and Nikki

"Miss, you have to stay by the cordon. If you have any information, I'll pass it on to the relevant person,"

When the three reached the cordon, they saw a woman in her early twenties standing by the tape with a border collie at her side

"Can I help, miss?"

"My Dad's gone missing. I need to know if it's him"

"Your Dad isn't Flynn Brown is he?"

"Flynn?" she frowned "No, my Dad's Frank Richards,"

"Well that must make you-"

"Catherine Richards," a voice called out sternly "What are you doing in the woods this late at night. It's dangerous. What would your Dad say?"

"He's not here," Kitty said, now on the brink of tears "I can't find Dad,"

"I saw the lights from the farmhouse," the man said as he introduced himself as Oliver Thompson "Is someone hurt?"

"I thought it was Dad but they said Flynn's name," Kitty said

"Kitty, this is no place for you," Oliver said "Go back up to our farm. Naomi will look after you,"

"I don't need looking after," Kitty began

"Your dog does though," Jack said as he crouched down in front of the dog "How far is she along?"

"Nearly full term," Kitty said

"What's her name?"

"Marple,"

"As in Miss Marple? The Agatha Christie character?" Jack asked and Kitty nodded "You'd better take her into the warm. It's no place for her to give birth out here,"

Kitty glanced at Jack and nodded. Oliver put his arm around her and led her away from the cordon, back up the beaten path, followed by Marple who gave Jack a friendly lick before departing with a waddle, after her owner

"Nicely defused," Will said to Jack who shrugged "Sounds like we have two missing persons and one body. So, is this Flynn Brown or Frank Richards?"

"I think this case is going to rely on local knowledge. I literally can't see the wood for trees," Will sighed

"I've finished with the body," Nikki said "And I'm happy for it to be moved. Jack?" she said to the man who was watching Kitty and Oliver walk up the dark track back to the farmhouse

"I'll be back in the morning for a full forensic sweep,"

"Also, I didn't know you knew anything about Agatha Christie," Nikki teased

"I'm full of hidden talents Doctor Alexander,"

"You're certainly full of it Jack Hodgson,"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Nikki pulled on a pair of latex gloves as she stepped into the cutting room. She glanced up to the viewing area to see Will leaning against the glass, notebook in hand and ready for Nikki to start the post-mortem

"This is the body of a well-nourished twenty-three-year-old male. He appears to have a gunshot wound in the centre of his chest. If we turn him over…" she paused as the lab technician helped her position the body "…there's an exit wound,"

"So it was the gun shot that killed him?" Will asked and Nikki nodded "Do you know when he died?"

"From my examination at the scene and from what I'm seeing now, he was killed sometime between 11pm and 2am. Sorry I can't be more specific,"

Will nodded as he made some jottings in his notepad.

"Presumably this is Flynn Brown and not Frank Richards,"

"No ID on the body," Nikki said, "But it's not Frank Richards, he's too young,"

"Do you know if the forest was where he died?"

Nikki nodded "The amount of blood suggests that. But how long had Flynn been missing for?"

"A week. From what I gather he'd quit working on the Richard's farm and after that no one could get in touch with him. The last sighting of him came from Catherine Richards. She'd seen her Father and Flynn arguing and saw him leave the farm in the direction of the main road to the village,"

"Sounds like something to investigate," Nikki said "But that's still one person not accounted for,"

"And the person I'd like to speak to the most," Will said "Frank Richards was seen arguing with Flynn and if this is Flynn then it seems that Frank has a few questions to answer, if we find him,"

"What about this Catherine Richards?"

"I'll need to talk to her. She was the last person to see Flynn and her Father is missing. I'll need to get a statement,"

"Jack's back at the crime scene gathering evidence. He might be able to help," Nikki said "She seemed upset yesterday and Jack seemed to strike up a rapport,"

"I'll keep that in mind," Will said "Thanks Doctor Alexander,"

…

Will ducked under the cordon tape, taking care to step on the metal plates that guided him through the crime scene without disturbing any forensic evidence.

"Jack?" he called, and the Irishman stood up from where he'd been crouching

Jack greeted the officer and looked around "No sign of the bullet I'm afraid,"

"Doctor Alexander thinks he was killed here," Will said and Jack nodded

"If Doctor Alexander thinks that, then she's usually right," Jack said "But I think we're going to need some local knowledge on this case,"

"The local police?" Jack asked

"I was thinking someone closer to home," Will said "We're going to need someone to identify if the body is Flynn Brown and start a missing person report for Frank Richards. I was, if you pardon the metaphor, kill two birds with one stone. Both men worked on the same farm. It seems the most likely place to start,"

Jack nodded in agreement and started packing up his forensic kit. The two men walked back to Will's car and made the journey to the Richard's farm. As the approached the farm, they could see several barns and outhouses. In the centre of the farm was a small cottage. As they pulled up to the gate, a dog waddled up to the gate, turning back to bark at the cottage. The door opened and a young man walked up to the gate.

"Marple!" the man said "Sorry, she wont bite. She's just protective of us and her future brood,"

"And you are?" Will asked

"Ryan Thompson," he held out his hand "I live in the next farm over. I'm just here helping out today,"

"Is Catherine here?" Will asked.

Ryan frowned for a moment before laughing "Oh, you mean Kitty! She's inside. Probably wouldn't call her Catherine to her face. She hates it!"

"Noted," said Will as they made their way to the farmhouse

"Ryan?" Kitty called "Where's Marple?"

"Just on guard duty," Ryan said, "We've got visitors,"

"Hello Kitty. My name is Will. I'm a police officer. And this is Jack, he's a forensic scientist,"

"We met yesterday," Kitty nodded

"I thought you were staying at the Thompson farm?" Will asked

"The farm needs me. The animals need feeding,"

"Hence why I'm here to help. I'm also keeping an eye on her,"

"Your Dad worries too much," Kitty scowled

"He just cares. Our families grew up together," Ryan explained, and Will nodded

"Kitty, I was wondering whether we could have a chat," Will said as Kitty gestured for them to sit down "I'm assuming you know we found a body last night,"

Kitty nodded silently.

"We think it could be Flynn Brown, but we need someone to tell us whether it is him,"

"No way!" Ryan objected "I'll do it-"

"-Ryan, it's fine," Kitty said

"We also need to talk to you about your Dad," Will said "Have you heard anything since yesterday?"

Kitty shook her head

"We're going to start a missing person inquiry," Will said "Do you have any other family that we could check with,"

"Mum's dead. There's…" Kitty looked at Ryan "…Jessica. My sister. She lives somewhere in the city. I don't know where. And to be honest I don't want here. Marple and I are fine here by ourselves,"

"But you understand why I have to check with her?" Will said gently and Kitty nodded

Ryan cleared his throat "I'd better get on. This farm won't run itself," he said leaving the room

"He and Jessica used to be a thing," Kitty shrugged "I think he's still embarrassed about it,"

Marple trotted into the room and made a beeline for Jack, licking his hand as a greeting

"She likes you," Kitty said softly with a smile

"At least someone does," Jack joked

"She's started to nest. That's also why I wanted to come back here. She feels safe here, to give birth to her puppies,"

"What happened to the father?" Jack said

"We're not sure. He went missing one night a few weeks ago. We found him dead in the forest,"

"Did you report it?" Will asked and Kitty nodded

"What was his name?"

"Watson," Kitty said

"Of course," Jack said, "You have a knack for naming animals,"

"You should hear what she calls the cows," Ryan said poking his head back through the door with a grin

"So, would you be able to help Jack and I out?" Will asked and Kitty nodded, burying her face into Marple's coat


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

"I came down in the morning and he wasn't at the table. But his boots were by the door. His gun was there and his car keys were too. I checked the farm for him, but he wasn't there. I thought maybe he'd gone down to the village and I'd just forgotten. But Marple and I just waited and waited. It got darker and darker and he still didn't come back. That's when I saw all the lights from the woodland. I thought something was wrong so Marple and I went to investigate. I saw all the forensics and figured you'd all found something. I thought it was Dad,"

"You did the right thing telling us though," Will said "What can you tell me about Flynn?"

"He liked books," Kitty said softly "He used to take me down to the library in the village sometimes in his car. He said that in the city, they have libraries so big that you have to use escalators to get to all the floors,"

"Flynn wasn't from farming stock originally," Ryan said "He grew up in the city, but from what I gathered, he used to holiday in the countryside,"

"He always wanted to be a farmer though," Kitty said softly "That's why he took the job here. He wanted to get experience before starting his own farm,"

"And your Dad didn't mind that he had little experience?"

"Flynn worked hard and was keen to learn. He had a knack with the livestock as well. Marple likes him," she said and sighed, "_Liked_ him," she said correcting herself

"How old is Marple?" Will asked, sensing this was a way to get Kitty to open up

"Five. This is her first litter,"

"What are you going to do with the puppies?"

"Kitty wants to keep them all," Ryan grinned

"They'd help around the farm," she retorted "But they'll probably be sold on to other farms. They'll be from working stock after all. That's all they will have ever known,"

"So Flynn got on well with the animals," Will said and Kitty nodded "How did he get on with your Dad?"

"They got on okay," she said but Jack and Will sensed she was holding something back

"I heard that your Dad and Flynn had an argument just before Flynn went missing," Will tested

Kitty didn't respond, but pulled Marple closer to her

"Kitty," Jack said "If you're worried about getting your Dad into trouble, you're not. We just want to find out what happened,"

"I…I don't know what they were arguing about," Kitty said finally "But Flynn quit on the spot,"

"Where did he go?"

Kitty shook her head "I don't know. He just went and never came back. The body you found in the woods…was…was it Flynn?"

Will paused before answering "We're going to need a formal identification first,"

"Let me do that Kitty," Ryan said

"No…I'll do it. I want to say goodbye. I never got to the first time he left. I don't want to make that mistake again," Kitty said and Marple whined softly

"We'll make the arrangements," Will said and Kitty nodded "I think you're very brave Kitty,"

"Do you think my Dad will come back?" she asked

"We've launched a missing persons enquiry. We've got everyone out looking for him, but that's why Jack is here. We need to search that house, to see if we can find any clues,"

"It's like in your books Kitty," Ryan said and she nodded

"Is that okay Kitty?" Jack asked and Kitty nodded

"If you two can both stay here while we get to work. Where's your Dad's room Kitty?"

"First on the left. Flynn's was on the right and mine is at the end of the hallway,"

Will and Jack nodded and made their way to Frank's room. Once inside Will closed the door and spoke to Jack in hushed tones.

"I don't like this one bit," Will said "We have one body and one missing person. Both seen arguing and now our main suspect ups and vanishes without a trace. This room looks like it hasn't been touched,"

Jack nodded as he looked around. The bed was made and the room in pristine condition. It looked like Frank had just gone out

"I noticed Frank's boots and car keys were still there," Jack said

"It seems he's vanished into thin air," Will said

"I'm going to take his toothbrush for DNA," Jack said motioning to the small sink in the corner of the room "I'm assuming he's a suspect as well as a mis-per?"

Will nodded "He was seen arguing with Flynn. Flynn ups and leaves and is found dead in the wood the very same day that Frank Richards goes missing. Something's going on here,"

The two of them searched the room but couldn't find anything untoward. Passing through the hallway again they watched Ryan comfort Kitty who was looking haunted.

"Have you got a recent photo of your Dad, Kitty?" Will said and Kitty nodded as she stretched over to the mantlepiece and picked up a photo-frame.

"This was taken in the summer at the village fete," Kitty said, and Will looked at it closely. Frank Richards was a well-set man of about fifty. He had his arm wrapped around Kitty who was sandwiched in the middle between Frank and another recognisable figure: Flynn. The three looked happy as they basked in the summer sunshine not even suspecting that that very photo would be used in a murder enquiry.

"That's all we need for now. Thank you both," Will said

"I'll show you out," Ryan said.

"I have an idea about what they were arguing about," Ryan said once they were out of earshot of Kitty

"Go on," Will said as they paused at the farm gate

"I think that Frank thought there was something going on between Flynn and Kitty. I mean they were always very close, but I reckon Frank thought it was something more and he wasn't happy about an outsider sniffing around his youngest daughter. Not since Jessica upped sticks and moved to the big city with her fella,"

"What happened after the argument?" Jack asked

"Flynn packed his stuff and left. Not even stopping to say goodbye, not even to Kitty," Ryan said with a shrug "I think that hurt Kitty,"

"Thanks Ryan," Will said "We'll be in touch,"

Ryan nodded as he went back to the farmhouse, leaving Will and Jack to shiver in the cold winter breeze. Something was going on in this little farming community and Will and Jack had just touched the surface.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

"I can go if you want Kitty," Ryan offered but she shook her head silently "You don't have to do this,"

Ryan, Kitty and Will were sitting in the farm cottage. Today was the day that a formal identification would be made of the body that was found in the woods. Will had made the journey to the farm and the three of them were now sitting around the small kitchen table.

"I do," she said softly, "I really do,"

"I'll bring her back as soon as we're done," Will said and Ryan nodded "Ready?" he asked Kitty who nodded as she followed Will to his car, picking up a book on her way out of the farm cottage.

Ryan sighed as he watched the pair leave. Marple came to his side and whined softly

"She'll be back soon Marple," he said as he grabbed her collar to stop her following Kitty.

…

Jack heard the buzzer and walked outside to see Will and Kitty sitting on the seats in the corridor

"Hi Kitty," Jack said and she looked up from her book and gave him a shy smile

"Kitty's here to identify the body," Will said and Jack nodded.

Kitty looked nervous which didn't go unnoticed by Jack who shot a questioning look at Will

"She was pretty much silent on the way here," Will said "Barely said a word. Focused on her book instead,"

"What are you reading Kitty?" Jack asked, taking a seat next to her

"Sleeping Murder by Agatha Christie," she said, marking her place in what appeared to be a well-loved book "It's my favourite,"

"Yeah?" Jack said "What about Flynn? You said he liked reading. Do you remember his favourite book?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because it's important to remember the good times you had with him. All the good memories you've got stored in your head, remember them. They won't go away, even if he has,"

Kitty closed her eyes for a second "Flynn's favourite was Murder on the Orient Express. I personally prefer Miss Marple, but Flynn liked Poirot,"

"What about Jessica?" Will said and immediately Kitty's head shot up

"I don't want to talk about her," she said

"Kitty, she's your sister. Surely she needs to know what's going on?"

"She stopped being my sister the day she walked out of the farm and moved to the city. She just left us. She never got back in contact with Dad, too busy with her fancy man,"

"We need to contact her. We need to check whether your Dad has been in contact with her since he went missing,"

"I don't have her number," Kitty shrugged "Or an address. All I know is she moved to the city and never looked back,"

She dropped her head back down to her book and both Jack and Will could see she was closed off to any more questioning about her sister.

"We can take you to see the body if you're ready?" Will asked and Kitty stood up and with a shaky voice said she was ready.

The trio walked down the corridor into a small side room. The body had been lain out, covered with a white sheet. Jack pulled on some gloves and pulled back the sheet.

Kitty swallowed hard.

"It's Flynn…" she said softly, before passing out.

…

"Can you hear me Kitty?" a voice said and Kitty blearily opened her eyes

"What happened?" she said trying to sit up, but Jack gently held her down

"Take it slowly Kitty," Jack was telling her "You fainted,"

"It was Flynn…" she said, eyes filling up with tears

"It was just shock," Will said to her "It's not easy to come and identify a body. I think you're very brave to come here,"

"So brave that I passed out?" she said looking embarrassed as Jack helped her sit up

"Trust me, I've seen worse reactions in here," Jack reassured here "Do you hurt anywhere?"

She shook her head but winced slightly

"Do we need a trip to the hospital?" Will asked

"No," Kitty said firmly "I'm okay,"

"I think she's fine. Maybe a cup of tea might help. Is that a fair compromise?" Jack said and Kitty nodded reluctantly

Kitty pushed herself up off the ground, grabbing her book in the process, as the three made their way back down the corridor

"I bet Miss Marple never fainted," she said softly as Jack pressed a cup of tea into her hands and he smiled at her

"It's nothing to be ashamed of," he told her

"I've had police officers faint at crime scenes," Will told her

"Do you get scared?" she asked Will

"Sometimes. It's natural. Goes with the territory,"

"The detectives in my books don't get scared," Kitty said

"So you like crime books?" Will asked and Kitty nodded "Ever thought of joining the ranks?"

She blushed but shook her head

"Good choice. There's way too much paperwork," he said

"At least with crime books you can shut them when it gets too gory," Kitty said

"It never happens like in the books," Will said "Maybe it was a bit much to see Flynn like that?" he said, and she nodded

"Does Ryan have to know that I fainted?" she asked, "It's embarrassing," Kitty added as an after-thought

"No," Will said "I wont tell him. But maybe stay off the crime books for now. What about Harry Potter instead? You're of that generation. Or the Hunger Games?" he said "Actually, maybe not the Hunger Games. Bit gory,"

"I think what Will is trying to say is not to fill your head with too much violence and gore. Maybe read something to take your mind off things," Jack said, and Kitty nodded

"Are you ready to go home?" Will asked and Kitty murmured that she was. Passing the mug back to Jack, she gave him a small wave before following Will back out of the Lyell Centre.

Jack watched the pair leave. Sometimes he wished that life happened like Kitty's crime novels. They always seemed to find the baddie and good was restored.

Life never happened that way.

And there was always far too much paperwork.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

"She's not in at the moment," Ryan said when Will and Jack net turned up at the farm looking for Kitty "Dad gave her a lift into the village. She wanted to go to the library. I'm surprised she hasn't read all the books there with how often she goes down,"

"Flynn used to give her a lift there didn't he?"

"He was as much a bookworm as she was," Ryan said "Not like me. Ah, there they are now," he said and Will and Jack turned to see a battered Land Rover pull up outside.

"Hi Dad," Ryan said, and Oliver gave him a wave as Kitty stepped out of the car with a heavy looking bag

"Thanks Oliver,"

"No problem Catherine," he said, and Kitty pulled a face at the use of her full name

"Your mother gave you a perfectly good name. I don't know why you always want to shorten it," Oliver said

"You're the officer investigating Flynn's death," Oliver said as he shook Will and Jack's hand "If you remember I run the other farm, not far from here,"

"The better farm," Ryan teased Kitty who stuck out her tongue as she heaved the bag of books onto her shoulder "Bloody hell Kitty, did you raid the entire library,"

"I just wanted a change of literature," she said, catching Will's eye

"So no more Christie? Rankin? McDermid?" Ryan asked and she shook her head "Since when do you read Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman and Douglas Adams?"

"All books are equal and should be enjoyed as such. Unless you're Jane Austen. You can keep your Pride and Prejudice,"

"Not a fan?" Will said looking amused

"It's contrived. Elizabeth Bennet wants to marry for love. It just so happens that the man she loves comes with a bloody great house and fortune," she said

"Language Catherine!" Oliver said

"Ryan swore. You didn't tell him off,"

"That's because there is no hope of Ryan ever becoming cultured," Oliver said and Ryan feigned hurt "You on the other hand need to remember that young ladies don't swear,"

Kitty shrugged and dragged her bag back into the cottage, followed by Ryan who was mimicking what Oliver had just said

"They get on well," Will noted

"They grew up together. My other son Samuel is older. Catherine, Ryan and Jessica were more similar in age. As was Flynn. To be honest I thought that Frank was a bit misguided when taking on Flynn as young as he was," Oliver said

"I believe Ryan and Jessica were in a relationship?" Will asked and Oliver nodded "She broke Ryan's heart when she left with John,"

"Do you know her contact details?" Will asked

"She gave me an address when she left," Oliver said "I don't know if it's up to date. I'm surprised Catherine didn't tell you,"

"She seemed a little closed off," Will said "Why did she give you her address and not her father?"

"Frank never approved of the relationship. Especially as it led to Jessica moving away. He'd already lost their mother. He wanted to keep his brood close, but John and Jessica wanted out,"

"I need to get in contact with the pair. They might be able to help with the missing persons inquiry into Frank's disappearance,"

"I can help you out. But just be aware that you'll be opening a can of worms. There's pain in the Richard's family that runs very deep," he said

…

"Kitty, how well do you know the local area?" Will asked as Kitty started to unpack her bag full of books

"Pretty well," she said

"How well did your Dad known the area?"

"Very well,"

"Do you have an ideas as to where he could have gone? The village? The woods? To Jessica?"

"No," she shook her head at all three options Will presented

"Has your Dad gone off like this before?" Jack asked

"If he goes out he always tells me," she said "It's like he just disappeared,"

"Everyone leaves some trace behind," Jack said

"I miss him," she said and Jack caught a slither of sadness in her voice "I miss Flynn. I had a family and now they're all gone,"

"What about Jessica. She's your sister, she's family,"

Kitty scowled and Will knew better than to push the subject.

"I wanted to ask you about the last time you saw your Dad," Will said

"It was just a normal day," she said

"Tell me about it,"

"We get up early to tend to the animals. I went down to the library to get some books and Dad wanted me to put an advert in the shop to advertise for a new farm hand. Ryan gave me a lift down. I got back to the farm and Dad was working out in the fields. Then we had dinner and went to be and then when I woke up he was gone," she said reeling off her schedule "Then I saw the lights around the woods so I came up and that's when I met you two,"

"Okay Kitty," Will said "So it was just a normal day?"

"Well…"

"Kitty?"

"Dad had been a bit on edge. I thought it was just stress with Flynn leaving but I think Watson's death shook him up a bit,"

"Watson?"

"Our other border collie," she said

"I remember now," Jack said "You said he was found dead in the forest,"

"It's odd though," Kitty said "He was well trained. There was no reason for him to go into the forest. Dad found him and it just seemed to spook him,"

"Okay Kitty, that's really helpful," Will gave her a smile

…

"We need to search the woods," Will said as they left the farm cottage, waving to Ryan who was crossing the nearby field "The death of the dog doesn't sit right with me,"

"You think it was a warning of some sort?" Jack asked

"Possibly. It clearly meant something to Frank Richards. I want to research more into the family. Oliver said there was a pain in the family. We need to talk to Jessica. Oliver talked about there being pain in the family. I think a lot of it started with Jessica left the farm,"


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven **

"So there's still no sign of Frank?" Nikki asked as they sat around the office tables

"We've taken DNA samples but if we've got nothing to match it to then…" Jack shrugged

"Those woods stretch for miles. If he is there then it's going to take a lot of man power," Will said

"But you think it's a starting point?"

"Flynn was found there and Watson was found there," Will said

"Watson?" Nikki asked

"Border Collie," Jack told her

"We've not picked up any CCTV of Frank in the village the day he went missing," Will said "If he's not on the farm and he's not in the village then he'll be somewhere in the woods,"

"Hiding out or dead?" Jack asked

"Your guess is as good as mine," Will shrugged "We know he had motive to kill Flynn. But Kitty told us that Watson's death spooked Frank,"

"We have no context though," Nikki said

"That's why I want to get in touch with Jessica Richards," Will said

"Kitty's not going to like that,"

"That's why I intend to be there when she arrives,"

"Maybe bring some riot gear?" Jack suggested with a smile

…

Two days later a young woman stepped out of the car, frowning at the mud which squelched up and around her shoes.

"You'd think you'd remember your wellies," Kitty scowled as she met her sister at the gate

"I didn't have time to pack all the relevant clothing Catherine," Jessica said

"It's Kitty," she corrected

"Well it was Catherine when I last saw you,"

"Well it was arse-hole when I last saw you,"

"Catherine!" Oliver scolded but Will stifled a smile as he watched the two sisters. He could see the physical similarities between the sisters but that was where the commonality ended.

Jessica was dressed in a dress and heels. Kitty was dressed in muddy jeans and wellies. Although both had matching scowls on their faces as they squared off against each other. Pulling cases from the boot of the car was an older man who was watching the sisters warily

"John," he said shaking Will's hand "I'm Jessica's partner,"

"Fiancée," Jessica corrected without taking her eyes off Kitty

"Well you're not staying here," Kitty scowled

"It's not your house Catherine," Jessica retorted

"It's not yours either Jessica,"

"What would Dad want?" Jessica said

"He'd want you to fu-" Kitty began before John stepped in

"We can stay in the bed and breakfast in the village," John said

"This is my home," Jessica said

"Not since you left," Kitty said "With him,"

"I'm John,"

"I don't care who you are," Kitty said "I want you off this farm,"

"Come on Jessica. Maybe it will be a good thing to give Kitty a chance to calm down. It's probably been a shock seeing you after all this time," John said

Kitty turned around and stomped back to the farmhouse, slamming the door behind her, knocking a couple of tiles off the roof in the process.

"Well that went as well as could be expected" John said

"I can't believe her," Jessica scowled

"Well I'll let you two get settled in down in the village. I'll need to talk to you sooner rather than later. Are you free tonight?" Will asked and the pair nodded "Great. I'll see you this evening," he said making his way to the farmhouse

"Go away!" Kitty shouted

"It's Will," he said and the door opened a crack

"I'm assuming you're the reason the mega-bitch is here," Kitty said bluntly

"She's your sister…" Will said

"Unfortunately," Kitty said

"We need her help. We needed to see if your Dad had been in contact with Jessica,"

"That didn't mean she had to drag herself all the way from London to here,"

"Maybe she wanted to see how you were?" Will suggested but Kitty shook her head "I think she cares deep down,"

"If she cared she wouldn't have left," Kitty said

"Were you close before she left?"

"I doesn't matter," Kitty said and Will could see she was closing up "The main thing is she left. Anyway, she won't be staying long,"

"What makes you say that?"

"She's not prepared. I mean who wears heels to a farm?" Kitty said rolling her eyes and Will stifled a laugh

"I'm going to talk to her later," Will said "Can I trust the pair of you aren't going to set of World War Three in the meantime?" he asked and Kitty nodded "Thank you,"

…

"I mean who reads that many books?" Jessica said sounding exasperated "If she's not talking to those dam dogs, she's got her head stuck in a book," she finished, flopping back in one of the squashy chairs that adorned one of the rooms in the local Bed and Breakfast

"I assume you mean Marple and Watson?"

"Awful names,"

"Named after the detectives?" John asked and Jessica nodded

"Well it's actually just one dog now. Watson died," Will told her

"How?" Jessica asked and for the first time he could hear concern in her voice "And how did Catherine take it?"

"He was found dead in the forest. I think Kitty was upset by the death. I haven't really probed,"

"That's sad, but how does it link to Frank's disappearance?" John asked

"We think it might have been a warning. You told me on the phone that your Dad hasn't been in contact?" Will asked for confirmation and Jessica nodded "So you wouldn't know if Frank had enemies?"

"I wouldn't know," she said "Once I left, I left for good. I never thought I'd come back to this dump,"

"Why did you leave?" Will asked

"Why would I stay?"

"I heard you had a relationship with Ryan Thompson?"

"He's still here?" she asked, and John bristled "It meant nothing," she told John "It was a teenage romance, if that,"

"Did it end badly?"

"It ended. And it was one more reason for me to leave,"

"But you gave your contact details to Oliver Thompson?"

"In case of an emergency. If Catherine needed me. She was angry when I left,"

"I could tell,"

"Why didn't she contact me when Dad went missing?"

"That's something you'll have to ask her yourself," Will said "But if your Dad hasn't been in contact with you, Kitty or the Thompsons, do you know any places he might go. Kitty said he knew the land pretty well,"

Jessica paused in thought, "The woods are pretty much empty apart from the cottage,"

"What cottage?" Will asked

"There's an old dilapidated cottage in the woods, we all used to play there as children: me, Catherine, Ryan and Samuel. Well we did until the accident…"

"What accident?"

"We were playing, and Catherine got hurt. Oliver and Dad boarded the cottage up and said we weren't allowed to play there anymore,"

"Do you think he might have gone there?" Jessica shrugged "Can you take me there?"

"I can't remember how to get there anymore," she said

"Maybe Catherine might be able to help?" John suggested and Will nodded

"I'll ask her," Will said "How long are you planning on staying?"

"Not long. I left this dump a long time ago and I have a wedding to plan,"

"I'll tell you the same thing I told your sister: no World War Three!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Kitty was waiting, perched on top of the gate when Jack and Will arrived the next day.

"I see you didn't take after uber-cow and dress in stupid clothing," Kitty said nodding to Jack and Will's wellington boots

"Uber-cow?" Jack asked

"Also known as Jess the mess," Kitty scowled as she hopped down from the gate

"She's your sister," Will reasoned

"Unfortunately," Kitty said "There's no law saying you have to like your family,"

"True," Jack said reasoned, "But you care about your Dad,"

"That's different,"

"How so?"

"He's not a fuc-"

"Kitty," Will warned "I've already warned both you and your sister about language,"

"What are you? My Dad?"

"No, but I want to find your Dad and Jessica thinks you can help,"

"I know," Kitty said "That's why I'm here, I want to help. I just don't like Jessica being around. I want it to go back to being me, Flynn, Dad, Watson and Marple,"

Will nodded as Kitty kicked the toe of her boots into the ground, clearly embarrassed about having voiced that particular thought. Will remembered what Ryan had told him about Kitty and Flynn's relationship of sorts and sensed it was still painful for Kitty to think about Flynn in the past tense.

"Do you want to go or not?" Kitty said gruffly, trying to cover up her momentary lapse

"You lead the way," Will said as they followed Kitty past the farm and into the wooded area where Flynn had been found

"How far into the woods is it?" Jack asked

"I don't know exactly distance wise, but when I was little it took us about twenty minutes from the farm to the cottage,"

"Who's us?" Jack asked

"Me, Ryan, his brother Samuel and the uber…I mean Jessica. Though we didn't come here much after a while,"

"You mean after the accident" Jack said and Kitty wheeled around quickly to look at him

"How'd you know about that?" Kitty asked and Jack noticed the quickness of her tone. She looked suspiciously at him

"Your sister said you got hurt," Will told her and Kitty's look disappeared as she shrugged in response.

"The cottage which we're going to have some stairs that led to a basement. The wood was rotten and I accidently put my foot through at a bad angle,"

"Did you hurt yourself?"

"Broke my leg," Kitty said "Also cut my leg pretty deep. There was blood everywhere and you could see the bone jutting through my skin,"

"Ouch," Jack said, and Kitty nodded

"It was just the four of us in the woods. Samuel was the eldest, but he was only nineteen. We were so scared and didn't know what to do. Samuel went back to the farm to get help. None of us had phones on us. We never thought we'd get into trouble,"

"What happened then?"

"Our respective Dad's came. My memory is kind of hazy after that. I think I blacked out from the pain because the next thing I remember is being in hospital,"

"Jessica said that your Dad and Oliver boarded the cottage up after that," Will said and Kitty nodded

"Dad was cross,"

"He was probably worried," Jack said, "It sounded like a pretty nasty injury,"

"We never went back. But I'm surprised Jessica didn't take you here herself,"

"She said she couldn't remember how to get here," Will told her

"She came here enough," Kitty wondered out loud and then stopped as something caught her eye.

It was the blue and white police tape that was cordoning off the area Flynn was found in.

"It's funny…" Kitty mused

"What is?" Will asked

"I never realised it before. But this is where Dad found Watson,"

"You're sure?" Jack asked, catching Will's eye as they exchanged looks

"Not 100%, but this was the area I'm sure of it. I remember because of the circle of rocks there" she pointed

"Kitty, why didn't you tell us this before?"

"I didn't realise. I was so caught up with looking for Dad and then finding out it was Flynn. I didn't put the pieces together. Some detective I'd make," she sighed

"Trust me you don't want to be one of them," Jack shrugged at Will, trying to lighten the mood "You should become a forensic scientist, that's what all the cool kids are up to," he joked and Kitty smiled weakly

"We're nearly there," she said as the path dipped downwards slightly and just as she had said as they rounded the corner, a small cottage came into view

"Did someone live out here?" Jack asked as they walked up to the door that had been boarded up

"Dad reckoned that a long time ago it was a kind of shepherd hut," Kitty said "This land technically belongs to us, but we've not kept sheep in this area for ages," she explained "The air is too damp. Not good for animals,"

Jack ran his hand over the board that blocking the entrance "We need to look inside,"

Kitty hesitated which was a reaction both Jack and Will noticed

"I'll give you a hand Jack," Will said and between them they pulled the board free

And discovered Frank Richards body hanging from the ceiling


	9. Chapter 9

** Chapter Nine**

"Don't look Kitty," Jack said pulling back and grabbing her by the shoulders to block her view

"No! No!" Kitty struggled

Will pulled out his phone and swore "No reception," he said and instead punched in 999 "Police please. This is DI William Collins…" he began, but was drowned out by Kitty's screams

"He's not dead, he's not dead," Kitty was repeating as Jack held on to her to stop her from stepping onto a scene and from traumatising herself further

"Kitty," Jack said trying to calm the panicking Kitty "Look at me,"

"You have to do something. We don't need the police; we need an ambulance. He needs to go to hospital. They'll make him better," she said sounding like a frightened child

"Kitty, they can't help him,"

"No!" she said "No…" and then the tears came flooding down her pale face

Jack knew it well. First comes shock. Then anger. Then tears. Then the realisation that life will never be the same again

"You have to help him," she protested weakly

"Kitty, we can't help him," Jack told her again

"Please…" she said although she knew her protests were in vain

"SOCO's are on their way," Will said shutting off the call he had been making "We need to get her out of here," Will said and Jack nodded

"Do you remember the way out?" Jack asked as he looked around the woods for any type of marker.

Kitty had taken them off the beaten track and neither Jack nor Will knew the way back.

Jack looked at Will who had the same lost look on his face as Jack. They knew that Kitty was the only one who knew the way back to the farm. They were depending on a young woman who had just discovered her dead father.

"Kitty," Will said "We need to get out of here,"

"But Dad…" she said weakly

"Kitty, come on," Jack said "We need to get back to the main road. We need you to show us the way so the right people can come and help your Dad,"

"You said we can't help him," Kitty said, then, "Oh…you didn't mean that kind of help" she said, and Jack shook his head

"We need you to concentrate," Will told her and she nodded, taking a deep breath.

The journey back was silent. Jack and Will kept close behind Kitty and soon enough they were back on the beaten track, when a Land Rover pulled up beside them with two men in the front

"Kitty?" Ryan said as he stuck his head out of the car window "What's happened?"

"We've found Frank Richards," Will told him

"Shit," Ryan swore "Where?"

"The cottage in the woods,"

"Oh god…" Ryan said

"What's up Ry?" another voice came from inside the vehicle

"This is my brother Samuel," Ryan said, "They've found Frank," he told his brother

"We need your help," Will said "We're waiting on forensics to come out to assess the scene, but I can't get back there, by myself"

"I can take you back there," Samuel said getting out of the car

"I can do it…" Kitty said "I want to help Dad,"

"You've done really well Kitty," Jack told her gently "But now let us help him. You've done your bit,"

"Come on Kitty, let's get you back home," Ryan said, "If we can still go back there?" he asked, and Will nodded

"I'll come and find you both soon. Look after her, she's in shock," Will said and Ryan nodded

"Let's go Kitty," he tried again and this time she entered the car, where Samuel had just been.

"Jeez," Will let out a breath when Kitty and Ryan had left "What?" he said looking at Jack

"That cottage was boarded up. How did Frank get inside without disturbing the boards?" Jack said quietly, as

"I don't know, but this case isn't as simple as we'd thought. That's three bodies now,"

"Three?"

"Flynn, Frank and Watson,"

"You think the dog was killed on purpose, as a warning?" Jack asked and Will nodded "But to whom?"

"Goodness knows, but this case isn't as simple as I thought it would be," he said as he watched Kitty and Ryan head back to the farm, knowing that for Kitty life would never be the same again.

…

"This was how you found him?" Nikki asked "The body hasn't been moved?"

Will shook his head "As soon as we found the body, we left to go back to the main road. Kitty needed to get out of there at the very least,"

"How was she?" Nikki asked

"Traumatised," Jack said, "She's back up at the farmhouse now,"

Nikki nodded and stepped into the building to examine the body. She put her hand into his pocket and pulled out a wallet.

"Here," she passed it to Jack who opened it

Inside was some money and bank cards. As well as a picture of Kitty and Jessica when they were younger. They had their arms around each other and were grinning at the camera. Jack sighed as he pulled out a driver's licence.

"If there was ever any doubt," he said, showing Will "It's Frank Richards alright,"

"He has no shoes on," Nikki said as she continued her investigation

"Kitty told us that Frank's boots were still in the farmhouse," Will told Nikki

""But there are no abrasions or mud on his feet. If he got this far into the forest barefoot, it would show on his feet,"

"The house was boarded up as well. It didn't look like the wood had been tampered with. It was rotten, but undisturbed," Jack said looking closely at the wood that had boarded up the door.

"Do you think he killed himself?" Will asked

"I can't give you definitive cause of death until the post-mortem, but something doesn't add up. I mean everything was boarded up and Frank's feet are clean…" Nikki mused

"This wasn't too far from where we found Flynn and the dog," Will nodded

"What was this building anyway?" Nikki asked

"The land belongs to the Richard's family," Will told her "When they were younger, the children from the farms used to play out here. Apparently Kitty put her foot through some rotten wood on the stairs and injured herself. Frank Richards and Oliver Thompson boarded it up so they couldn't play here again,"

"That's funny," Nikki frowned

"How so?"

"The wood on those steps is rotten like you said, but it's intact. There's no evidence of anyone injuring themselves on the stairs…."


End file.
